Wine festivals: always a reason to celebrate German wine

In vino veritas... there may be truth in wine, but it is also one of life's great pleasures! Discover Germany's wonderful wine festivals the length and breadth of the country and join the party in a picture-perfect wine village, the winding narrow streets of a quaint town, a cosy inn or a rustic wine cellar.

Traditional Mainz Wine Market

The traditional Mainz Wine Market is regarded as one of Mainz's best festivals. The municipal park in Mainz provides an unparalleled setting for the wine stalls, with the sekt festival and arts and crafts market in its rose garden. Strolling wine tastings and delicious food are other attractions in Mainz , which has been a member of the Great Wine Capitals network since 2008.

Central Germany's biggest wine festival is held in Freyburg, the capital of the most northerly German region where qualitätswein can be grown. Music and shows attract the crowds all around the town where the streets are packed with stallholders and Saale-Unstrut vintners offer their wares in the 'wine village' and around the festival site.

Visitors to the Rheingau Wine Festival embark on a voyage of discovery. Around 100 winemakers offer acclaimed Rheingau riesling wines as well as sparkling sekt and regional fare. The ten-day wine festival includes a varied programme of entertainment in Schlossplatz and Dern'schen Gelände squares in Wiesbaden .

Famous vineyards in the UNESCO World Heritage site along the Rhine guarantee the quality of this traditional wine festival held under the lime tree in the market square. On the third weekend in August, you can taste the best rieslings and pinot noirs from the famous steep vineyards of the Rheingau , just 50 kilometres from Frankfurt . Rüdesheim wine estates such as Johannes Leitz, the Gault Millau 2011 winemaker of the year, are not to be missed.

For decades, the Weinkerwe festival, with its wide range of wines, has been one of the most popular festivals on the German Wine Route. A genuine wine lovers' festival at which excellent wines from the top vineyards and cellars are assured. Enjoy a glass in the sociable atmosphere of the 'Weingasse', or sip superior vintages together with fine food in the 'Weinkabinett' or at the traditional wine estates.

Fine wine and good food are on the menu for this vineyard walk with panoramic views. A special miniature 'train' takes visitors up to the start of the wine walk on Michelsberg hill. Vintners and chefs work together in the pavilions spread around the vineyards to ensure that the hearty Palatinate specialities and creative local tapas match up to the range of wines provided by the nine winemakers.

This traditional autumn wine fair takes place in the picturesque market square. Dance bands and music groups entertain the visitors while winemakers showcase their exquisite wines at vine-clad stalls. The vintner's parade is the highlight, with colourful floats proceeding through the lavishly decorated town. The original Rhine in Flames firework display can be admired from the riverbank or aboard boats.

Experience the biggest wine festival in the Middle Moselle region. Its highlights are the reception for the wine queen, firework displays at Landshut Castle and along the banks of the Moselle, the vintners' parade with a string of floats, marching bands and traditional dance groups from Germany and abroad. Over 30 stalls offer acclaimed riesling wines, including Bernkasteler Doctor, Zeller schwarze Katz, Piesporter Goldtröpfchen and Wehlener Sonnenuhr.

Stuttgart Wine Festival has lost none of its original appeal. It is not only a hit in Stuttgart , it has long been a byword and ambassador for the Swabians' love of life, well beyond the Baden-Württemberg state capital. It shows Stuttgart and the Swabian region at its best – convivial and welcoming and celebrating wine as their cultural heritage.

The wine-making town of Heilbronn holds its traditional German wine festival around the town hall. Thirteen cooperatives and 17 wine-growing estates showcase around 300 still wines and 16 sparkling sekts. Robust reds, crisp whites and full-bodied rosés are on offer. Selected dishes accompany the top-quality wines while musical entertainment sets the tone.

The white marquees that are the hallmarks of the culinary wine walk in the Stetten vineyards can be seen from miles around on Whit weekend. Ten winegrowers and five chefs at five points along the existing Stetten wine walking trail serve fine wines from their own vineyards along with gourmet delights.

Boppard is on the romantic Rhine in the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley . Bopparder Hamm is the biggest vineyard site in the Middle Rhine wine region . The wine festival takes place in the historical setting of Boppard's medieval market square. Every autumn, winemakers and restaurateurs invite wine connoisseurs and gourmets to taste their riesling and other specialities.